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Prayer — Novenas

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Novena to One's Own Patron Saint

Our Favorite Novenas, 1897

The novena with a blank in it, for the saint whose name you were given at baptism: nine days of asking the one person in heaven who has been assigned to you since before you could speak.

The Prayer
English · Original
Wherever the text has a blank, say the name of your own patron.

FIRST DAY
O holy patron, St. ——, I am about to make this novena in thy honour and for my spiritual benefit. During the coming nine days I will thank Almighty God for the many graces He has given thee. Thou hast been faithful to all thy duties, and therefore wert so pleasing to God that He became thy great friend. He added grace upon grace, and thou, O holy patron, wert more and more faithful to them, until thou didst attain eminent sanctity, and after thy glorious death didst obtain a high place in heaven.

We should be friends; I ought to know thee better, have more confidence in thee, be more familiar with thee, so that under all circumstances I may quickly think of thee and take my refuge in thee; then the purpose for which God intended thee will be more easily obtained, when I co-operate with God's favours and graces.
The Memorare.

SECOND DAY
Dearest patron, St. ——, in Baptism I received thy name and promised to be faithful to God's love forever. When I was an outcast and under the curse of original sin God called me to be His particular friend. The blood of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, was poured over my head, and I became again an heir of the kingdom of God. I was entrusted to thy care, and thy life was placed before me for my imitation and encouragement. If I follow thee I will certainly arrive in heaven.
The Litany of your patron saint, if there be one, or the Litany of the Saints.

THIRD DAY
O my dear patron, St. ——, my life so far has not been what it ought to be. Instead of following God and fulfilling His holy law I have resisted His grace, so that I must have grieved thee very often, my dear patron. But now is the time of grace and blessing, now Almighty God will second thy efforts in my behalf. I will turn from my bad habits and lead a better life. Thou, O my patron, art certainly interested in my eternal welfare. Show me light in my path through this life. It is not always through malice that I commit sin, but frequently from ignorance. If I had the light I would, with the grace of God, do better. Then, O my patron, obtain it for me.
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin, in honour of your patron.

FOURTH DAY
Pray for me, O holy patron, that I may make a good confession. Having bewailed my sins and past transgressions, I beg of thee to obtain from God a real true conversion, that I may be a new man and a man of God. Almighty God according to His ordinances expects that I shall make a good confession, that I shall tell my sins plainly to a priest, so that the shame added to my contrition may the more certainly obtain the forgiveness of my sins. Effect in me a firm purpose of amendment, so that beginning once more a new life I may persevere to the end.
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin.

FIFTH DAY
My holy patron, St. ——, I wish to beg of thee help to make a good Communion during this novena and ever afterwards to make good and holy Communions. I am about to approach the Lord in the Holy Sacrament. I have prayed to thee, my patron, and my heart is inflamed with love of thee; but I must love above all my dear Lord Jesus, whom I am going to receive, that I may be strengthened in piety and holiness by His sacred presence. I will thank Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the many graces He has given thee, my patron, which have enabled thee to lead a holy life, and for the glory which has been a reward for thy faithfulness. Then I will beg Jesus in holy Communion to give me strength and perseverance, that I may make great progress in the difficult affair of my salvation and obtain everlasting happiness.
Make a visit of thirty minutes to the Blessed Sacrament.

SIXTH DAY
O my dear patron, St. ——, on this day obtain for me the love of the Blessed Virgin; prostrate thyself at the throne of Mary, and tell her of a poor client of thine here on earth who wishes to obtain her love. Give her my homage; she is the Mother of my dear Jesus, and I have received so many signs of love from her that I know I am dear to her heart. What would I be without her love, where would my wickedness end? O my patron, gain this love for me.
The Litany of the Holy Angels.

SEVENTH DAY
My dear patron, St. ——, one day I shall enjoy the company of all the saints and angels in heaven. I must now cultivate their friendship if I wish to share their happiness. The Church wishes us to venerate the saints of God, who have been such friends of His. They have fought the good fight and conquered. Introduce me to the angels, especially my guardian angel; he is singularly close to you, my patron; the duty of both is nearly the same. Unite your efforts for my welfare here on earth, but more especially obtain that I may enjoy with you the happiness of heaven.
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin.

EIGHTH DAY
My dear patron, St. ——, I beg of thee the virtues of humility and purity of heart. Humility is the foundation of all virtues. I often think I am gaining in sanctity, but as I so often fail in humility I must acknowledge that I am far from being pleasing to God. I am self-willed, self-sufficient, and independent; these are all vices of pride, and Thou, O my God, dost hate the proud and dost give Thy grace to the meek and humble of heart. Dear patron, thou wast humble, and for that reason God raised thee to a high degree of sanctity, for God has promised to exalt the humble. Dearest St. ——, also obtain for me purity of heart, for without this virtue I will never enjoy the beatific vision of God.
The Litany of St. Joseph.

NINTH DAY
My dear patron, St. ——, how thou dost love God in heaven! what a burning furnace of love art thou! Nothing engrosses thy mind but the love of God. Why not extend thy care to me, and obtain that I too may love God with the same ardour? Thou wilt gain this favour for me if I am only willing to co-operate with the grace of God. I should also burn with zeal for His glory, zeal for my own salvation, and zeal for the conversion of sinners. 'All for the honour and glory of God' should be my watchword.
Five Our Fathers and Hail Marys.
When the Prayer is Said

In the nine days before your patron's feast; before a confirmation; at a baptism, for the child's namesake.

History & Background

This is the only novena in the collection that names no saint, because the saint is yours. Its instruction is worth quoting: 'To every Catholic the patron saint is a very important personage for his whole life… Our patron saint should be a very particular friend of ours; we should know on what day his feast occurs, that we may be able to celebrate it with a novena. We should know the life of this saint, so as to be able to imitate his virtues.'

The nine days are a small examination of a whole Christian life, made in the company of someone who has already finished one. They move from thanksgiving, through baptism, conversion, confession and Communion, to the love of our Lady, the company of the angels, humility and purity, and end on the love of God — which is where the saint already is and the one praying is not yet.

The same manual adds a caution that belongs to every novena on this site: 'We must be sure not to honour a saint, to pray to him, or make a novena, simply for the purpose of gaining some temporal advantage… We ought to look more to the imitation of the virtues in the lives of the saints than saying many prayers to them.' Search this site for your own patron and the nine days will have something to work with.

A novena is nine consecutive days (or nine consecutive weeks of one fixed day) of the same prayer for the same intention; a day missed breaks it, and it is begun again. Confession and Communion during the nine days, or on the last, were the ordinary conditions for the plenary indulgence.

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